Siddhartha And Antigone Essay - 1227 Words

The individual and society have a mutually dependent relationship where they influence each other. An individual attains a sense of self and awareness of personal truth through direct experience. Their sense of meaning within a community stems from how an individual’s ideas are received by the public. The reception within a community that a person faces can lead to conflict when their core beliefs are incompatible with social norms. The balance between obligations to a sense of self and meaningful contributions to society is achieved through acceptance of conflicting values. Siddhartha and Antigone both showcase the complex role an individual plays in society. In Siddhartha by Hermann Hesse, he is able to flourish within his community,†¦show more content†¦Antigone is loyal to the gods law, which causes her civil disobedience. It is her fight for the good life that leads to the development of personal truth. Like Siddhartha, the pursuit of betterment and reflection on the choices she makes leads to a heightened sense of self. Antigones willingness to lose herself to stand up for a clear goal - to bury her brother - helps bring awareness to personal truth. The sense of meaning and purpose an individual has within a community originates from how the general public reacts to his or her personal truths. Siddhartha is encouraged to follow his own path. â€Å"‘You will,’ he said, ‘go into the forest and become a samana’† (Hesse, 11). He is able to create his own set of governing morals because he has support from his community. This freedom is significant because it allows Siddhartha to find his true purpose in society, avoiding the constricting nature of a single set of beliefs. Antigone gains her sense of purpose in the opposite fashion. â€Å"Their laws are not for now or yesterday, but live forever† (Sophocles, 455 - 456). She is motivated by the laws of the gods and remains devoted to them. These views directly contrast what her community places emphasis on - order under Kreon. Her purpose within the community is to fight for the moral law. Both examples show the importance of how reception in th e community affects a person’s sense of purpose. An individual’s sense of self and purpose within the community may be in

The Human Cost Of An Illiterate Society By Johnathan Kozol...

Taking things for granted is a very common practice in society, the ability to appreciate the smaller things in life is a trait not commonly found in many. Be it having the ability to attend a university, or having the proper use of all of one’s limbs, many don’t fully understand and appreciate the gifts they have. In his work, The Human Cost of an Illiterate Society, Johnathan Kozol relates this idea to the importance of literacy, and the implications and struggles that are imposed on society and those who lack it. Instead of diving straight into a depiction of the hellish existence that is an illiterate lifestyle, Kozol quotes Founding Father James Madison, saying that â€Å"A people who mean to be their own governors†¦ must arm themselves with the power knowledge gives. A popular government without popular information or the means of acquiring it, is but a prologue to a farce or a tragedy, or perhaps both† (Madison 114). A country under the rule by the pe ople who can’t go as far to even rule the information presented to themselves seems much more Anarchic than Democratic. By quoting James Madison, Kozol presents his idea that education in the written word is integral to the foundations of a prosperous and free society, and that this was even recognized by the Founding Fathers. Following his assertion that literacy is key to an effective Democracy wherein policy and leaders are elected by an educated populace, Kozol gives a depiction of a Democracy wherein herd mentality isShow MoreRelatedThe Human Cost Of An Illiterate Society1048 Words   |  5 PagesAre illiterates just people who exist? Do they just walk around aimlessly, never knowing what to do? â€Å"Illiterates live, in more than literal ways, an uninsured existence,† says Jonathan Kozol. In Kozol’s article, â€Å"The Human Cost of an Illiterate Society,† he intensely describes how illiteracy can impact both the illiterate and those surrounding hi m. There is a tragic human cost for an illiterate society. If people are unable to read, then what can they do? In this case, the least taken-for-granted

Wal-Mart Market Analysis Free Essays

Wal-Mart Market Analysis Wal-Mart is the second largest company in the world. Its focus is on mass merchandising as opposed to specialty merchandising. The idea behind mass merchandising is to offer products and services in one convenient store to better manage a consumer’s time. We will write a custom essay sample on Wal-Mart Market Analysis or any similar topic only for you Order Now An example of how Wal-Mart mass merchandisers is by offering a multitude of products and services within one convenient store. They sell sporting goods, electronics, housing needs, clothing, groceries, consumables, and toiletries all in one convenient location. Similar to a mall, Wal-Mart meets all of its customers’ needs in one location. This is a very valuable ability because it allows the customer to have more control over his or her time. (Research and Markets, 2010) The company operates under three main operation segments. Its most common segment will be its Wal-Mart. The second common segment found in the United States is Sam’s Club. Sam’s club is similar to Wal-Mart except that it is larger in size and puts more emphasis on wholesale retail. They are more popular with businesses and large families. The company’s last segment consists of International stores. Though Wal-Mart has few locations outside the United States its name is widely known. (Research and Markets, 2010) Within the United States, Wal-Mart has a variety of mass merchandising locations. Wal-Mart’s products and services within each location are based on demographics and surrounding stores. Superstores, discount stores, and neighborhood markets are the three types of stores Wal-Mart might open, given a certain demographic. If a community is large and consists of multiple school districts and many families, Wal-Mart will consider opening a Superstore or neighborhood market. Within a neighborhood market, Wal-Mart offers lower pricing to compete with higher priced stores such as Targets, Kohls, ShopRites, ACMEs, and Super fresh. Even shopping malls competing with Wal-Mart. Discount stores are located in smaller communities, mostly consisting of elderly individuals or small families. (Research and Markets, 2010) Wal-Mart’s is a very powerful company due to its low pricing and high volume. It drives mom and pop shops and local small retail stores out of business due to the inability to compete with such a large chain. Although this is disappointing, Wal-Mart is one of the largest employers, providing jobs for over a million employees. So it does its share to contribute to employment. (Market Research, 2010) Everyday Wal-Mart is increasing its market share. Years back Wal-Mart was just another retailer, but due to massive expansion and lower prices, Wal-Mart now competes in almost every type of retail business. Wal-Mart is now opening grocery stores, gas stations, and supercenters that sell everything imaginable in order to maximize its market share. Everyday Wal-Mart is devising new ideas to keep a huge control over the market share. Ideas of incorporating a grocery store within a clothing store were farfetched 10 years ago, but now it is typical to buy dairy products and sporting goods all in one store. Now farfetched and even crazier ideas such as selling used cars, financial services, and home improvement needs can be realized within Wal-Mart’s ability to expand its products and services. (Market Research, 2010) Wal-Mart has the ability to continue growing to higher and even deeper depths. The goal for Wal-Mart is to not let its goals of expanding interfere with its normal and everyday operations. Low prices and convenience are a must for Wal-Mart to continue operating. Today Wal-Mart is a common name in retail just as Ford is common to automobiles. ? References Market Research, Initials. (2010). The Age of wal-mart. Retrieved fromhttp://www. marketresearch. com/map/prod/805195. html Research and Markets, Initials. (2010). Analysis of wal-mart stores. Retrieved from http://www. researchandmarkets. com/reportinfo. asp? report_id=552122 How to cite Wal-Mart Market Analysis, Papers

Battle of the Bulge Essay Example For Students

Battle of the Bulge Essay The Ardennes offensive was a last ditch effort by the Germans to achieve an advantage in the war, but it turned out to be an acceleration of Germanys ultimate demise. Previous to the offensive the Allies had managed to achieve a beach head and advance toward Germany from almost every direction. On the eastern front Russia was steadily advancing on Berlin. The western front was around the Belgium and German border. Germanys fate seemed to be determined but Hitler would not let the thought of defeat enter his or his commands mind. He started planning for a massive offensive against the Allies on the western front. He believed that the relationship of the Allies was very unstable and that if he could penetrate through the western front and reach the port of Antwerp that they would bicker among themselves and eventually fall apart. In the fall of 1944 as General Eisenhower had promised the Allied forces had successfully fought their way through Europe and established a front from the North Sea to Switzerland. The lines were stretched very thin. Only 65 divisions of infantry, armor, and airborne were available to hold the 500 mile long line. Having landed at Normandy in June of the same year Allies had made very quick advances on the Germans positions. General Patton expressed it well when giving his famous speech to the Third ArmyI dont want to get any messages saying, I am holding my position. We are not holding a goddamned thing. Let the Germans do that. We are advancing constantly and not interested in holding anythingbut the enemies b***s. (Province 5)The Allies were no longer worried about losing the war it was just a matter of time before Germany fell. Hitler however was not as willing to succumb to that realization. After a failed assassination attempt and suffering from bad health many say that by this time in the war Hitlers judgment and state of mind had become very unstable. He felt that if he could organize a strike against the Allies on the western front and reach Antwerp that by dividing the lines of the Allies they would start to turn against each other. Germany felt that the union of the Allies was weak and could be broken easily. This was one of the major faults in Hitlers plan. The union of the Allies was an uncomfortable one but it was held together because of their determination to destroy the German regime. They were fighting a war of attrition. That is where you keep attacking the enemy over and over again slowly breaking down their structure until they finally fall. Conferences between the leaders of the major countries for the Allies had conferences starting the negotiations of what would be done with Germany and the other territories after the war in Europe was over. On September 16, 1944 Hitler announces his plan for a major offensive on the western front to his operation staff. The location and objective of the offensive were also revealed and the project was codenamed Wacht am Rhine ( Watch on the Rhine). They chose this name in an attempt to try to confuse the Allies into thinking that the plan was defensive. This tactic worked well since the Allies were unprepared for the attack even after intercepting transmissions where they heard the codename and the approximate date of its initiation. A transmission from Japanese ambassador Baron Oshima to Japan was one of those Decoded by the Allies using the MAGIC code breaker. This was after messages between German command was intercepted using the ULTRA machine. The information picked up from this transmission was about planning reconnaissance and troop movements into positions where they are more suitable to attack. .u8bf623df7ddf88999119f1754fe4965b , .u8bf623df7ddf88999119f1754fe4965b .postImageUrl , .u8bf623df7ddf88999119f1754fe4965b .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .u8bf623df7ddf88999119f1754fe4965b , .u8bf623df7ddf88999119f1754fe4965b:hover , .u8bf623df7ddf88999119f1754fe4965b:visited , .u8bf623df7ddf88999119f1754fe4965b:active { border:0!important; } .u8bf623df7ddf88999119f1754fe4965b .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .u8bf623df7ddf88999119f1754fe4965b { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .u8bf623df7ddf88999119f1754fe4965b:active , .u8bf623df7ddf88999119f1754fe4965b:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .u8bf623df7ddf88999119f1754fe4965b .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .u8bf623df7ddf88999119f1754fe4965b .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .u8bf623df7ddf88999119f1754fe4965b .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .u8bf623df7ddf88999119f1754fe4965b .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .u8bf623df7ddf88999119f1754fe4965b:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .u8bf623df7ddf88999119f1754fe4965b .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .u8bf623df7ddf88999119f1754fe4965b .u8bf623df7ddf88999119f1754fe4965b-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .u8bf623df7ddf88999119f1754fe4965b:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: The Red Scare EssayMany times Hitlers staff tried to convince him to reconsider his plan for the massive offensive. Most thought that the German army would be best to setup a strong defensive strategy and by stalling have time to implement many of the secret weapons that were in development at the time. None of his advisors thought that the German army was strong enough at the time to take advance to Antwerp. One of his advisors was quoted This plan hasnt got